Lone Wolf Bridge

The Lone Wolf Bridge is a Pratt Through Truss bridge that was fabricated in 1922. It is the oldest surviving bridge and the only remaining metal truss bridge in San Angelo, Texas. In addition to the truss, this bridge features 14 reinforced concrete approach spans. The ashlar stone piers are from a previous structure that was built around 1888, and they were capped and reused for the new structure. In the 1980’s, an adjacent structure was constructed, and the Lone Wolf Bridge was closed to traffic. It was converted into a walking and biking path around 2011 as part of a major rehabilitation.

This bridge was designed by the Bridge Section of the Highway Department and is one of the earliest examples of public sector bridge designs carried out by a trained staff of civil servants for the State.

It is unclear where this bridge got its name, but there are two main theories. The first theory is that the bridge was named after the town of Lone Wolf, which was built near the current bridge. There is not a lot of information about the town, but the 1880 census shows a population of 884 people. A flood in 1882 killed many people, and possibly lead to the eventual downfall of the town. The second theory is that the bridge is named after Kiowa Comanche Chief Lone Wolf. This Chief was among the militant minority of his tribe during the violent transition from nomadic life to forced reservation life in the 1870s. During one of the battles, the Chief’s son and his nephew were killed by the troops of the Fourth United States Cavalry. This led Lone Wolf to spearhead a war party to recover their bodies. The party was successful at raiding the camp, and it is said that they found the boys bodies near the site of the current bridge. Regardless of how the bridge got its name, it is said to be haunted.